1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a specimen processing device and a specimen processing method for performing a predetermined process such as examination and analysis on a specimen such as urine and blood.
2. Description of the Related Art
The specimen processing device for processing specimens such as urine and blood is used in medical facilities such as hospitals. Some specimen processing devices transport the specimen aspirated from a specimen container to each unit using a pneumatic source.
This type of specimen processing device may have a function of making the device undergo transition to an inactivated state to suppress power consumption (e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-121449). In the inactivated state, current flow other than to the configuring portions that need to maintain current flow such as a reagent refrigerating compartment and a control unit is stopped. The release of the inactivated state is executed by the input of a startup instruction from a user to an operation unit, or by the registration of patient information to a higher-order system. The specimen starts to be analyzed when the user selects a start button after the inactivated state is released and a preparation operation of the specimen processing device is completed.
In the specimen processing device described above, a predetermined preparation operation such as startup of the pneumatic source is performed to have the device in a processable state when the startup instruction for releasing the inactivated state is input from the user or when the patient information is registered to the higher-order system. It normally takes a few minutes until the preparation operation is completed. The user needs to instruct the start of processing of the specimen by selecting the start button after waiting for the preparation operation to be completed.
If such a preparation period occurs, the user tends to carry out other works in the meantime. However, once the user starts to carry out other works, the user may be deeply involved in the other works and may not notice that the preparation has completed, and thus may thereafter leave the specimen processing device in non-operation. In this case, the specimen processing device again returns to the inactivated state although it has undergone transition to the activated state. When the user returns to the specimen processing device after finishing the other works, the specimen processing device may have already returned to the inactivated state. The user thus needs to re-input the startup instruction to release the inactivated state.
Thus, lowering of work efficiency in medical coding is a concern in the conventional release method. Considering the current situation of the medical facilities, it is not highly preferable to wait for the preparation period to finish without carrying out other works in front of the specimen processing device.
When releasing a pause by registering the patient information to the higher-order system, a long time is required from when the patient information is registered until the process is actually performed in the specimen processing device, and there is a problem in which wasteful power consumption arises in the meantime. Steps such as blood drawing and centrifugal separation are often carried out after the patient information is registered in the higher-order system, and a long period is required until the processing in the specimen processing device is performed. Thus, wasteful power consumption arises before processes are started on the specimen if the pause state is released by registration of the patient information.
In view of such problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a specimen processing device capable of suppressing power consumption while simplifying the operation of the user.